Burns Lake is stepping up to try and bring new Canadian entrepreneurial skill to the area.
Economic Development Officer Val Anderson with the Village of Burns Lake plans to submit an application to the new Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Regional Pilot Program, which seeks to help new Canadians set up businesses in small and regional communities.
The programs aims to tap into the economic benefits of immigration to British Columbia and share economic development across the province.
In addition to the possibility of successful new businesses opening in the area, drawing entrepreneurs to the village will “give Burns Lake exposure to the outside world,” said Anderson at the Jan. 8 council meeting.
The program also targets business sectors regarded as gaps in a community, and the applicant “can designate three gaps on the application, such as tourism, technology or agriculture,” Anderson said.
The gaps that Burns Lake would focus are are still under consideration.
Village councilor Charlie Rensby said at the meeting that the program could be a good way to bring new permanent members to the community.
Mayor Dolores Funk noted that there is support for new immigrants in the area.
“When the Syrian refugee crisis began a few years ago there was a group here willing to support them and bring them here,” Funk said.
The initiative requires that host community applicants have a population lower than 75,000, be located more than 30 kilometres from a municipality of more than 75,000 and be able to demonstrate their “capacity to support foreign entrepreneurs through an established network of settlement and business support agencies,” according to the EI Regional Pilot website.
The requirements for entrepreneur applicants include having at least $100,000 in eligible business investments, a personal net worth of at least $300,000, minimum of 51 per cent ownership of the business and be able to create at least one new job.
More information on the program is available on its website https://www.welcomebc.ca/immigrate-to-b-c/bc-pnp-entrepreneur-immigration/entrepreneur-immigration-regional-pilot.